Vent pipe vandal-proof hooded vent cap



Oct. 1, 1968 J. T. KENNEDY ET AL 3,403,809

VENT PIPE VANDALPROOF HOODED VENT CAP Filed June 15, 1967 I 23 230 ll230 :VHZ /F HQ l5b 4 4 HQ fi INVENTORS. JOSEPH T. KENNEDY 8 NICHOLAS G.SCHEUER ATTO R NEYSV United States Patent 3,403,809 VENT PIPEVANDAL-PROOF HOODED VENT CAP Joseph T. Kennedy, Hamden, Conn., andNicholas G.

Scheuer, Michigan City, Ind., assignors to Josam Manufacturing Co., acorporation of Delaware Filed June 15, 1967, Ser. No. 646,388 6 Claims.(Cl. 220-44) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hooded vent cap assemblycomprising as two primary elements of cast metal, molded plastic or thelike, a hollow frustro-conical cap generally vertically slotted andhaving an upper end portion terminating in a fiat centrally aperturedtop end wall, a bottom skirted rim stepped in diameter to engage the endface of and surround the terminal portion of a vent pipe and therebelowto accommodate the end of a pipe flashing sleeve; equally spacedvandal-proof pipe engaging set screws in rim thickening bosses; asloped-top, bell-shaped hood resting on and secured by a vandal-proofflat head screw and nut to the top of and having a drip-edgecircumferentially spaced from the bottom of the cap; spaced integrallugs projecting from the hood top under-surface into the cap end wall atthe slot ends for non-rotationally engaging the hood cap; whereby invandal-proof fashion, the hood is secured to the cap and the cap andhood assembly to the pipe.

The present invention relates to improvements in protective ventingclosures used on vent ports or vent pipes for tanks, plumbing-drainagelines, soil stacks and other analogous purposes.

The present invention is concerned with improvements in vent guards orcaps provided for prevention of rain or snow entry or accidental orintentional introduction of foreign bodies or materials into ventopenings of various types. Though the invention is hereinafterparticularly described as a hooded vent cap assembly used in theenvironment of a building drainage system or soil stack vent pipe, it isto be understood that the invention has application to otherenvironments.

Vent pipes for storage tanks, drainage lines, soil stacks of sanitarypiping in residential, commercial or similar buildings, and the like aregenerally provided with protective end assemblies at times to prevententrance of rain or snow into the vent openings, and more frequently toprevent accidental or vandalistic introduction of objects or materialssuch as stones, sticks, paper and the like. In addition to these primaryfunctions, it is desirable also that such a protective assembly furtherbe anti-icing and also itself vandalproof, in the sense that theprotective closure is not readily circumvented in its protectivefunction nor removed merely by hand but requires rather the use of toolsfor such purpose.

The present invention provides not only a grated closure or cap for theend of a vent pipe permitting bi-directional passage of gaseous materialtherethrough, but also a hood thereover in an assembly that is sturdy,anti-icing, relatively low cost in production, easy of installation, andfurther basically vandal-proof in the above defined sense.

These objects are obtained by providing a basic twopiece cap and hoodassembly, suitably fabricated by known methods and materials. A hollowfrusto-conical grated vent cap is used having an enlarged steppedskirted base adapted to be telescoped over the end of a vent pipe andalso to accommodate a vent pipe flashing sleeve, then secured on thepipe in vandal-proof manner "ice with interposed seal means withaccommodation to variations in actual pipe diameters from a nominal pipesize; while a bell-shaped hood secured thereto by a vandalprooffastener, provides a shield with a drip edge in circumferentially spacedrelation to the cap. The latter may be a non-slotted, non-projecting,fiat head screw and nut, through central apertures of the hood and capwith further inter-engagement of cap and vent to prevent removal byspinning the hood with respect to cap and so loosening the fastener.Sealing means such as mastic, or if desired, elastomeric gasketing maybe interposed between the pipe end and cap to prevent water from runningtherebetween.

The two-piece assembly hereinafter described provides a simple sturdystructure for achieving at low cost by relatively simple molds withoutcoring, a hooded vent assembly of a type anti-icing and vandal-proof inpractical sense, effectively preventing not only entrance of theelements where that is desired, but also introduction even of tinymaterials into the vent by any except the most determined and persistenthuman interference.

A specific embodiment of the invention whereby the above-mentionedfunctions, advantages and objects can be attained is represented in thedrawing and hereinafter described in detail.

In the drawing there is shown in vertical longitudinal section a hoodedvent cap assembly installed upon the end of a tubular vent, such as asoil stack or vent pipe projecting through a roof of a building forventing drainage or sanitary lines therein, only a terminal portion ofthe vent pipe and a surrounding flashing sleeve being shown in thedrawing.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing ascomprised of a flat-topped vent cap C secured, and preferably at Ssealed, by means hereinafter described to the end of a drainage systemvertical vent pipe D shown in fragmentary form covered by a roofflashing sleeve F, and a bell-shaped protective hood H, secured theretoby appropriate vandal-proof fastening means M; the hood and capordinarily being metal castings, but for some environments of use moldedor plastic components being acceptable.

The cap C comprises, as a preferred integral cast or molded structure, ahollow frusto-conical grate portion having a top centrally apertureddisc or end wall 10, a vent pipe en-d abutting bottom rim 11, spanned bya closed series of spaced bars 12 forming corresponding vent slots 13,and a stepped skirt 15 integrally depending from the circumference ofrim 11 to surround the terminal portion of pipe D and the cuffed end offlashing F. Thus, an ample free vent area is readily provided say threeor two times the vent pipe cross-section, to minimize possibility offreeze-up obstruction by freezing condensation or other accumulation ofice in the venting area, to which also the ample free area of spacingbetween hood and cap is conducive.

In the skirt 15 an upper or first skirt portion 15a, in diameter smallerthan that of the bottom skirt portion 15b, may be considered asfunctionally a part of the pipe-engaging rim 11 with which it isprimarily cooperative in forming a pipe-end seating formation forsealing and securing the cap on and embracing the pipe end by aplurality of equi-angularly spaced socket or Allen type, preferablythree, headless set screws 16, threaded therethrough at respectiveexternally bossed or thickened portions 151:. With headless set screws,the outer ends may be non-protruding as the bosses 15c provide not onlyadequate metal for strong thread engagement but also a concealing shroudfor the screws when engaged against the pipe.

The inner diameters of 15a and 15b are respectively chosen at 15a toaccommodate conveniently normal variations in the outside diameter ofvent pipe of the nominal vent pipe size for which a given cap isintended, especially as may occur with cast iron vent pipe and providespace for sealing means S; and as to 15b also variations at the end ofthe flashing P, such as may arise from variations in the thickness ofmaterial or neatness of the end cutting.

The seal means S to prevent water running between pipe end and cap mayconveniently be mastic or a similar semi-solid substance applied eitherto the pipe end face and external margin, or deposited in thecircumferential corner between the end of rim 11 and inside surface of15a; or may be a neoprene or other elastomeric gasket of L-shapedcross-section, or conceivably, say a band of lead wool caulking withmastic thereabove. The inner diameter of the rim 11 above the pipe endmay be equal to or slightly less than the inner diameter of the ventpipe to provide an inner drip lip or edge for the same purpose.

The hood H, as a preferred integrally cast member, includes thefrusto-conical skirt 21 extending down, to form a drip edge at orslightly below the level of rim 11, from a centrally apertured top wall22, the latter being slightly upwardly dished for run-01f of water; anda plurality, preferably three or four depending on slot spacing, ofangularly spaced downward lugs 23, here shown engaging the top surfaceof cap wall and having radially outward minor lugs 23a outside the edgeof disc Wall 10 projecting into the top ends of corresponding slots 13,i.e., between top ends of bars 12, to center and to prevent rotation ofthe hood relative to the cap.

Actually, the lugs provided at 23a engaging in the cap are of primaryfunctional importance, the inner edges of 23 functioning in like mannerwhen the hood here shown is used on a smaller vent with a smaller caphaving the hood resting directly on the top thereof and the inner endsof the lugs 23 engaging in the ends of the slots in the smaller cap.

The securing means M conveniently comprises preferably an interruptedslot or a Phillips recessed type flat head screw 25 depending throughthe counter sunk hood and the cap central apertures for engagement bynut 26, whereby the cap and hood are assembled before installation onthe vent pipe. As the screw 26 is non-projecting, and especially asnon-slotted, with the nonrotational engagement resulting from lugs 23::in the cap, a vandalproof, tamper-proof assembly is furthered. Conduciveto this same end is the non-headed, non-projecting, in eifect hidden,arrangement of set screws 16.

It is seen that the shapes of the elements are such as to be readilymade for example as green sand casting, without coring by virtue of thedraft inherent in the shapes.

1. As a closure for the free end of a vent pipe or the like forming atubular, projecting vent opening, the combination comprising:

a hollow vent cap member having a circumferentially spaced series ofvent slots therethrough, a bottomskirted integral rim adapted to seat onthe vent pipe end; set screw means through the rim to secure cap on thepipe end; and

a bell-shaped hood member secured on the top of the cap by vandalprooffastener means and having a drip edge in circumferentially spacedrelation to the rim region of the cap. 2. In the combination of claim 1,said set screws being socket end headless set screws and the skirtportion of said skirted rim having for receiving each of the set screwsa thickening boss affording a long threaded aperture therethrough foradequate threaded engagement, whereby said set screws may each bethreaded into a vandal-proofing concealed position entirely within arespective aperture.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said hollow cap member has belowand dependent from said skirt portion a further enlarged diameterintegral skirt portion adapted to accommodate therein an end portion ofa flashing sleeve on the vent pipe.

4. In the combination of claim 1, said vent cap and hood each having acentrally apertured top end wall with the hood aperture externallycounter-sunk;

said fastener means comprising a vandal-impeding type flat head screwextending downwardly through said central apertures secured by threadedmeans to the p;

the underside of the hood top wall provided with a plurality of integraldownward lugs equi-spaced from and spaced about its central apertureengaged in corresponding slots at the edge of the cap top wall therebypreventing spinning of the hood relative to the cap.

5. In the combination of claim 4, the vent slots of the said vent capformed by and between a plurality of spaced generally parallel integralbars running from said rim portion to the top wall of said cap, top endspaces between said bars providing said corresponding slots forengagement by said lugs; said cap skirt portion having a plurality of atleast three thickened threaded and radial apertured integral bosses forrespective hoodless set screws threadable therein to a vandal-proofingconcealed position for engagement with a vent pipe.

6. In the combination of claim 4, said hollow cap member having belowand dependent from said skirt portion a further skirt portion ofenlarged internal diameter adapted to accommodate therein an end portionof a flashing sleeve on the vent pipe.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1931 Lake 220'-44 8/1933 Riceet al. 220-44 the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PATENT OFFICE Washington,D.C. 20231 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PatentNo. 3,403,809 October 1, 1968 Joseph T. Kennedy et al.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent andthat said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 57, after "of" insert preferably special Column 2, line51, "three or two" should read two or three Column 4, line 43,"hoodless" should read headless Signed and sealed this 10th day ofFebruary 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer

